Monday I wrote about Abraham being God's friend. I wrote that he was an ordinary man, with glaring weaknesses, who loved and obeyed God, and whom God considered His "friend." But Paul Harvey would be upset if I didn't give you "the rest of the story."
Genesis 22 is, in my opinion, one of the most difficult chapters in the Bible. It starts out with God asking Abraham to go and kill his only son, Isaac, as an offering to the Lord. As I read, my inner dialogue begins ranting and raving, "WHAT?! Kill his only son? God, are you CRAZY?! Why would God ask him to do this?"
As I read this, the Spirit began speaking to me, "Rob, what on this earth is your most valued possession?" That's easy - my wife and children. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his most prized possession, and Abraham agreed. The question in my spirit came, "Rob, would you? If God told you to give up your family for Him, would you? Would you sacrifice them?" (Note: in order to grasp this story, you have to contemporize it and understand that "sacrificing them" wouldn't mean "killing them" - but it would mean laying aside my will for their lives and acceping God's will, whatever that might be.)
Some of us think that our most prized possession would be something we do not yet have - would you give up your dreams, your retirement, your plans? And while that might be part of it, Abraham is asked to give up the one most valuable thing he already had - his son. And you know the story - Abraham gets ready to plunge the knife into his son's belly to sacrifice him to the Lord, and an angel stops him. God knew at that point that Abraham was willing to do whatever God asked him to - no matter what. In Abraham's life, NO ONE was more important that God, and furthermore, EVERYTHING that Abraham had was God's, including his son's life.
You don't get to be God's friend by just speaking to Him a few times a week and reading the Bible a little. Friendship with God is attained when we obey Him - even in the areas and circumstances of our live where we flat out don't understand why we should obey or even how we can obey Him. Friendship with God trusts that God is our Friend, and that He works all things out for our good, even when we don't understand it.
To be a friend of God means obedience to Him, trusting in Him completely - and that is a whole lot easier to talk about (and write about) than to actually live out. But my prayer is, "Lord, I still want to be your friend. When I am tested, may I obey you to the point of death if necessary. But may I always be your friend.
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Yes Lord. " For it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure".God is faithful to work that kind of dedication in me as I submit to Him.
I John says that how can you say you love god who you don't see when you don't love your brother who you do see and who is made in the image of God? This same principle would apply ,I think, with regards to my submission to the Lord. How can I say that I submit to the Lord who I don't see when I don't submit to the shepherd that God has placed over me that I do see?
The interesting thing to me about this story of Abraham was that God was asking him to give up what was a fulfillment to God's promise to him to begin with! Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children. Issac was a miracle child born because of a word from God." Friendship with God trusts that God is our friend." Amen And to obey Him is to obey those whom He has place over me in authority. Not in some slave mentality but with joy that He cares enough about me to provide me with shepherds who truly love and care for His flock.My obedience has to have hands and feet. Not just some mental assent to the Word.
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